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Background and Setting
History The Promised Land Twenty years ago, an up and coming technological innovations corporation, Labycore, revealed a promising solution to the overpopulation concerns of the world. The largely unknown company, led by young and charismatic genius Sid Lovens, had done, quite literally, groundbreaking work – the corporation's Abyssos technology was able to drill a hole in the very bedrock of earth itself, deep and wide enough to provide an artificial eruption channel for overpressurized magma, and then regulating how the superheated lava would flow. In effect, the cooling magma would set down in the shape and size the client wanted. The possibilities of both military and commercial use were obvious, but Labycore's interests lied elsewhere. The corporation's primary focus for Abyssos technology was in creating vast man made landmasses – these new frontiers could serve as a welcome respite for countries struggling under the weight of overpopulation. Labycore may have appeared out of nowhere, but soon its name was synonymous with mankind's ability to find solutions to even the direst of problems, and Lovens himself was praised as the savior of mankind. Labycore demonstrated the promise and potential of Abyssos technology with the Dawnbreak Program. The massive project created a small, artificial island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This island, named after the project as Dawnbreak, resides in the international waters – Lovens wanted Dawnbreak to be a melting pot between countries and people, resulting in a promising today and a brighter future. No borders, just ideas and ideals. Dawnbreak became a small nation unto itself, its harbors a welcome stop for any and all ships traveling across the Atlantic. Every country was offered a chance to take part in building a better tomorrow – in return of sponsoring Labycore's efforts and partaking in building the isle's infrastructure, the sponsors would be granted an exclusive area in Dawnbreak, and the opportunity to be a part of humanity's greatest invention since the harnessing of electricity. Dawnbreak endured several years of growth, prosperity, and ingenuity. In that time frame, the top scientists from both Labycore and its collaborators made several breakthroughs in both commercial, civilian, and military applications. The Dawnbreak Program was an unprecedented success and Dawnbreak City the new jewel of mankind. Every success story has a darker side. With Dawnbreak Isle, it was rampant crime. The Downward Spiral Despite the best efforts of Labycore in curbing the influx of shadowy elements, eventually the island archipelago was saturated with both organized and random crime. Many blame Lovens' policy of open doors for the downfall, others call it the inevitable result of man's greed. The first symptoms were innocent enough. Beautiful escorts started to appear next to wealthy clientele in high profile events. Next, the need for expensive illegal substances to keep the upper class's never ending parties going provided a way for the smugglers to squeeze in. With every small shipment of high grade narcotics to be sold to the upper class, an influx of cheaper drugs piggybacked its way onto the island, and found its users among the less priviliged. With substance abuse came industrial espionage – the criminal elements were more than happy to take research data in lieu of currency, to be smuggled back to the mainland and sold to the highest bidder. Money started changing hands, and eventually everyone had dirt on someone else, a trump card waved in the air in case cooperation via bribes proved to be unsuccessful. For many, taking money on the side simply made life easier. White collar crime became the norm, the way things were done. As most of the corporations preferred to handle any criminal and corruption issues in-house in order to avoid public scandals, Dawnbreak Island Police Department was left to contend with the seedy elements outside the corporate areas. With its authority undermined and meager resources spent on tight corporate security, DIPD was, in all regards, toothless. Stretched thin, the law enforcement had little choice but to compartmentalize the unsavory elements outside the corporate districts. Without active policing, the criminal elements could freely fortificate their positions, and like everyone else, they wanted more. Slowly but surely, Dawnbreak Isle became more restless. After violence became a real threat to the isle's residents, the top corporations recommended that their employees stay inside the company's own district, just for their own protection. Labycore tried to deal with the worsening crime wave by founding a weapons development branch that studied automated and non-lethal ways to deal with aggressors. Many corporations and countries deemed that this was not enough, and with good reason: a few robotic sentries here and there did little to curb the influx of crime. Eventually, the majority of sponsors decided that enough is enough, and pulled back from Dawnbreak, leaving Labycore facing the shadows alone. Labycore did not, however, have any intention of abandoning the promise of a brighter future. It decided to fight back, by any means necessary. A Deal With The Devil As Labycore's funding was practically decimated when the Dawnbreak Program's sponsors pulled out, the corporation was forced to come up with alternate means of creating revenue. Labycore funneled more and more of its reserve funds into the company's weapons division, creating more effective ways in dealing with crime. Labycore sold these autonomous anti-crime units to security and law enforcement companies, but as that didn't bring in enough cash to keep Labycore going, the corporation began arming belligerent countries around the world. Few countries were more than happy to purchase any and all military innovations and applications Labycore's brilliant minds could come with, but when the corporation sold those very same breakthroughs to counter side, the world gasped in shock and horror. Labycore, the former Hope of Humanity, became an enemy of liberty - even though this policy of open arms business was and still is enforced solely to keep the Dawnbreak Program operational, for many, the cost of continuing business is too high. To the former sponsors of the Dawnbreak Program, arming both sides of the fence was tantamount to an act of terrorism. They wouldn't simply sit still and allow this to happen. Labycore and Dawnbreak became targets of hostile corporate actions, trade embargoes, and outright blockades. The company was both under siege and under assault.' ' Faced with corporate war on several fronts, Labycore was forced to abandon most of their branch offices around the world, but although the trade blockades against Labycore took their toll, the corporation did not succumb to attrition. Labycore had already found a strong foothold in the arms industry. The corporation's research in underground farming was years ahead of its competitors – although it was still essential to import some goods, Dawnbreak had become self sufficient. Soon after, Labycore centralized its operations on Dawnbreak island archipelago. In an attempt to eradicate corporate espionage once and for all, the information flow to and from the isle was placed under heavy restrictions. In effect, Labycore clamped down, and cut ties to the outside world. Hell or Heaven? Today, Labycore is viewed as a seclusionist, amoral and cutthroat corporation, whose promises of a better tomorrow were first replaced by the need to survive, then transformed into the cold, calculative monster. Labycore's CEO Sid Lovens, formerly the golden boy of humanity's highest hopes, is now seen as the fallen angel, the tragic hero, who, embittered by his shattered dreams, sold out on his ideals. The few rumours that trickle from the island tell tales of technological wonders and scientific breakthroughs, of immense personal freedom and liberty, of stupendous salaries and a chance to work wonders alongside the best minds of the world. These rumors paint Dawnbreak as an utopia of tomorrow that's been shunned by the outside world. But, for every tale of greatness and wonder, a more sinister view is voiced: that Dawnbreak is nothing more than a trap to lure in new talent with golden promises but, upon arrival, the hapless newcomers are made practically slaves to the system, forced to fight for their very survival under the watchful eye of Labycore, a corporation turned into a heavy handed police state. What the truth really is, only a few people know. Labycore maintains that Dawnbreak is the new Atlantis, a place where tomorrow becomes reality today, and that both Labycore and the island achipelago will keep its borders open for anyone willing to participate in building a brighter future. How that happens, in actuality, remains hidden from the public view, discovered only by those brave enough to enter. Dawnbreak Setting Balance of Power Throughout the island archipelago, Labycore has granted control of certain pieces of infrastructure, like power plants and cargo ports, to corrupted groups who make a killing in doing Labycore's dirty work. These lap dog companies and gangs show almost no scruples in doing whatever it takes to maximize the payoff. There are some companies, however, that hold a different set of morals. Despite being grossly outnumbered and outgunned, they fight the good fight whenever they can get away with it. Category:Storyline